Addressing-machine.



c. l. w. SMITH. ADDRESSING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED OCT-1,1912.

Patented June 29, 1915,

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rHE NORRIS PETERS c0. PHOTO-LITHOH WASHINGmN, D c.

C. I. W. SMITH.

ADDRESSING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED OCT-1.1912.

1,144,617.. Patented June 29, 1915.

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Clarence .W. Smfih.

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THE NORRIS PETERS r PHOTC-LITHCL. WASHINGTUN, D. c.

C. l. W. SMITH.

'ADDRESSING MACHINE. APPLICATION FILED ON. I, 1912,

l ,1 44,6 1 7. Patented June 29, 1915.

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THE NORRIS PETERS co. PHDTC'LITHCL, WASHINGTON, 1:. C.

C. W. SMITH.

ADDRESSING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. I, 1912.

1,144,617.. Patented June 29, 1915.

5 SHEETSSHEET 4.

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7H5 NORRIS PETERS 60.,PHOT0-LITHQ, WASHINGTON, By C Patented J 11116 29, 1915.

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THE NORRIS PETERS c0. PHOTG'LITHO" WASHINGTON D. C.

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CLARENCE I. W. SMITH, 0F OMAHA, NEBRASKA, ASSIGNOR. IO HENRY HAUBENS AND CLARK A; SIG-AFOOS, 0F OMAHA, NEBRASKA.

mantra Application filed October 1, 1912.

To all whom it may concern i Be it known that I, CLARENCE I. W. SMITH, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Omaha, in the county of Douglas and State of Nebraska, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Addressing-Machine's, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to consecutive printing machines, and more particularly to machines adapted for attachment to newspaper printing and folding mechanlsm for the purpose of automatically printing upon such papers, as they'are delivered from the press or folding machine, the names and addresses of the subscribers to whom they are to be mailed.

his the object of my invention to provide a machine of this kind of simple, durable and comparatively inexpensive construction; to provide means by which ordinary slugs such as are cast by linotype machines, may be used as type-forms for the consecutive printing mechanism; to provide suitable galleys for holding the slugs when not in use; to provide means for removing the slugs from the galleys when the latter are placed in the machine, the slugs being handled so that undue wear thereof is prevented; to provide means for separating any of the slugs that may adhere to each other on account of becoming coated with ink or other material that might cause them to stick together; to provide adjusting means by which slugs of different thickness may be handled by the same mechanism; to provide means for repacking the slugs, after use, into the storage galleys; and to provide certain other minor constructions and combinations of parts as will be more fully set forth hereinafter.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a front view ofa mechanism embodying my invention, the same being shown in connection with parts ofa foldlng machine to which it is attached, Figs. 2 and 3 are detail vertical sectional views illustrating the operation of the slug delivery mechanism, Fig. I is a horizontal sectional view, taken on the plane of the line H of Fig. 2, Figs. 5 and 6 are plan views of the lower part of the feedchute, showing the slug-separating and dropping mechanism, Fig. 7 is an end view Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 29, 1915. Serial No. 728,377.

of the mechanism, Fig. 8 is a detail vertical section showing the operation of the slug releasing mechanism when adjusted for releasing or feeding slugs of double thickness, Fig. 9 is a detail section on the plane of the line 99 of Fig. 8, Fig. 10 is a detail trans verse section of one of the galleys, showing the locking-follower therein, Fig. 11 is a detail plan view of a part of a galley with the locking-follower therein, Fig. 12 is a detail transverse section of the slug-carrier, Fig. 13 is a detaillongitudinal vertical section of the slug-carrier at the dropping or releasing position, thereof, and Fig, 14 is a detail showing the operation of the cams in separating slugs which may adhere to each other.

In several of the figures of the drawings I have shown portions of a folding machine, in connection with which the illustrated form of my mechanism is intended to be used. Ihe said portions of the folding machine are the frame-members 120, 130, 140 and 150, the drive-shaft 16, sprockets 17, 18 and 19, the idler 20, chain 21, and paper delivery devices 22. Except for the framemembers, drive-shaft and paper delivery devices, these parts of the folding machine have no connection with the construction or operation of my mechanism. The shaft 16 is timed by suitable connections so that it makes one revolution for each of the papers discharged by the delivery devices 22 at the position shown by dottedlines a in Figs. 1

and 2. On the end of the shaft 16 is a cam 23, and behind the cam is a slotted head 24- which passes slidably over the shaft and carries rollers 25 and 26 which engage the cam. The head 24 is secured to a rod 27 which forms the sole driving connection between the shaft and the moving parts of the consecutive printing mechanism, the said rod being given a reciprocating motion by the cam 23, and making a stroke in each direction during one revolution of the driveshaft 16. On the frame-members 1&0 and 150 is secured a bracket 28 and on said bracket is secured the main frame portion 29 of the consecutive printing mechanism. On the upper partof the frame 29 is an inclined portion on which is secured the chute or trough 30 into which the printing-blocks or slugs to be used are fed from the storage galleys. The galleys 31 are formed at the ends with tongues 32 which fit removably into recesses made therefor in the upper end of the chute 30, so as to properly aline the galleys and the chute. The upper portions of the galleys rest on a bracket 33 secured to the frame-member 120. In the central part of the frame '29 are secured the horizontal parallel rods 34, which extend in both directions from the frame and carry at their front ends the end-plate 35. The lower part of the end-plate 35 has an inclined shelf thereon which extends rearwardly from the plate. The lower outer end of the shelf supports the front end of the horizontal receiving-chute 37, the bottom of the chute being inclined laterally the same as the shelf, and the chute being provided with a side-plate at its lower or outer side only.

7 The rearward part of the chute 37 is supported on the lower portion of the frame 29, and the rearward end of the chute is provided with notches or recesses, similar to the recesses at the upper end of the chute 30, adapted to receive the tongues 32 of the galleys. The galley connected with the receiving chute is supported by a bracket 38 on the frame-member 120.

On the rearward portions of the parallel rods 34 is slidably mounted the cross-head 39, with which the rod 27 is connected so that the head is given a reciprocating movement by said rod. At the front side of thecross-head is a lug 40 through which passes a rod 41 which extends forwardly and is connected with the upper end of the packerlever 42. The said lever is pivotally mounted on the end-plate 35 and its lower end lies in the front end of the receiving-chute. On the rod 41 are adjustably secured the collars 43, which are so disposed that one of them will be engaged by the lug 40 near each end of the movement of the cross-head, and the rod thus moved longitudinally. The rod and packer-lever are thus given an intermittent reciprocating movement.

On the lower side of the cross-head is a lug 44 through which passes a rod 45. At each side of the lug, collars 46 are adjustably secured on the rod and, between the collars and the lug, coil-springs 47 and 48 are disposed around the rod, the springs both being normally under a slight compression. On the front end of the rod is secured a head 49 on which is an upwardly extending finger 50. In said finger is an opening through which a stud 51 passes slidably. The stud is secured in a lug 52 which extends upwardly from'a plate 53, said plate being carried by and slidable longitudinally within the carrier-head 54. The rear end of the stud 51 is provided with a head, between which and the finger 50 a small coil spring 55 is disposed around the stud. The carrier-head 54 is mounted slidably' on the forward portions of the rods 34'between the frame 29 and the endplate 35. At the sides of the carrier-head fiat springs 56 are secured thereto and frictionally engagelthe rods 34 so as to slightly retard the movement of the'head thereon.

At the lower end of the feed-chute 30 the bottom portion of the chute is turned downwardly to form a lip or apron 57. Upon the end. of the chute is secured an endplate 58 between which and the apron 57 is an open space; A small shaft 59 is revolubly mounted in the end-plate 58 and extends across the end of the chute, as shown. On said shaft adjacent to the sides of the'chute are secured cams 60 each provided with two or more projections, as 61 and 62. On the front end ofthe shaft 59 is secured a small crank 63 by which the shaft may be turned to different positions, and through the crank passes a small setscrew 64 which may be screwed in against the side of the end-plate 58 to hold the crank and shaft in adjusted positions.

said lowermost slug passes beyond the end of the bottom portion of the chute so as to be held in position only by the pressure of the remainder of the slugs in the inclined column. When only a few slugs are in the chute, or at the end of a run when the last of a set of slugsare being fed, a weight B is placed in the chute at the upper end of the column of slugs, so that even the last or uppermost of the slugs will have suliicient'pressure upon it to cause it to be frictionally retained in position. The ends of the slugs A are beveled at one side as shown in Figs. 5, 6 and 9, the bevel being made by shavingofifthe corners of the slugs after they are cast, or, preferably, by the use of'suitable mold-liners placed in the linotype machineby which the slugs are cast. 7 The slugs are placed in the chutewith the beveled sides thereof uppermost, as shown. Tnthe sides of the chute 30 near the lower end thereof are rotatably disposed the shafts 65 which extend perpendicularly to the bottom portion of the chute, and at their lower ends are bent to form cranks 66 which extend below the lower edge of the apron 57, as shown. On the faces 69 will engage the lower face of the slug next above the lowermostone of the column and slightly lift or push back up the chute all of the slugs therein except the lowermost one. The pressure of the column of slugs being thus removed from the lower slug, it is left free to drop down the throat formed between the end-plate 58 and the apron 57. Should the lowermost slug of the column adhere to the slug engaged by the radial faces of the cam, the beveled end-faces of the lower slug will be engaged by the spiral faces 68 of the cams and forced away from the upper slug, as shown in Fig. 14.

During the rearward stroke of the carrierhead the same is actuated by the finger 50 engaging the plate 70 at the lower part of the head, and toward the rearward limit of movement the upper rearward part of the head engages the cranks 66 to turn them and release the lowermost slug in the feedchute, as above described. hen the slug is released the parts of the head are at the rearward limit of their movement and in the respective positions shown in Fig. 3, so that the slug drops into a recess or pocket formed in the head between the plate 53, the lug 52 which extends upwardly from said plate, and the front transverse bar 71 of the carrier-head. As the forward movement of the rod 45 commences the head 54 momentarily remains stationary andthe finger 50 slides forwardly on the stud 51 until it engages the rearward face of the lug 52. The plate 53 is then pushed forwardly, sliding within the head 54 until the slug is forced against the transverse bar 71 and clamped between said bar and the lug 52. All the parts of the carrier then move forwardly together until the carrier-head engages the end-plate 35, as shown in Fig. 2. As the head 54 is moved forwardly the cranks 66 are thrown back to their normal position by the downward pressure of the slugs in the feed-chute against the cams 67. When the carrier reaches the position shown in Fig. 2 the slug held by the carrier is positioned beneath the edge of the paper a as it is discharged by the paper delivery devices 22, hereinbefore mentioned. The paper a is then forced down into engagement with the type-face of the slug by the following means: In the frame 29 is pivotally mounted a shaft 72, on the inner end portion of which is secured an arm 73 which normally extends forwardly and upwardly therefrom, being held in said elevated position by means of a spring 74 connected with the arm and with an arm 75 extending out from the bracket 28. On the central part of the shaft 72 is a short arm 76 which extends upwardly therefrom and is adapted to be engaged by the head of a screw 77 carried at the upper end of a lug 7 8 which extends up the platen and the arm from the front part of the cross-head 39. On the forward end of the arm 73 is a laterally extending portion, and beneath said portion of the arm is disposed the platen 79, on the upper side of which are pins 80 which extend slidably through the arm. One of the pins is provided with a head which limits movement of the platen away from the arm, and around said pin between is disposed a coil spring 81 which pushes the platen yieldably downward. After the parts are in the positions shown in Fig. 2, a slight additional forward movement of the crosshead 39 oocurs, compression of the spring 48 permitting said movement without causing further movement of the carrier-head. During said additional movement of the crosshead the arm 76 is engaged by the screw 77 and the shaft 72 is turned so that the arm 73 is swung quickly downward to the position shown by dotted lines in Fig. 2, at which the platen strikes the paper a and presses it against the type-face of the slug held by the carrier-head. As the crosshead is moved rearwardly the plate 53 is first actuated and moved rearwardly, the head 54 remaining stationary owing to the friction of the springs 56 on the rods 34. This movement of the plate 53 relative to the head causes the front part of the plate to be withdrawn from beneath the slug held in the carrier, the slug being prevented from moving backward by the shoulders 82 which lie behind the slug alongside the lug 52, as shown in Fig.4. The slug is thus released and drops through the vertical passage in the carrier-head as shown in Fig. 13, falling onto the inclined shelf 36 between the end-plate 35 and the guide-fingers 83 which extend upwardly from the shelf. The slug then slides down the inclined shelf intothe front end of the receiving-chute 37 and is pushed rearwardly in the chute by movement of the packerlever 42, so that the end of the chute is left open to receive the next slug. At the beginning of the operation of the machine, when there are no slugs in the receiving-chute, one of the weights B is placed therein so as to form a sliding or yielding abutment against which the slugs may be packed into the chute and thus prevented from falling over onto their sides. After the opening of the carrier-head as shown in Fig. 13, to release and drop the slug, the finger 50 engages the plate 70 and moves the carrierhead rearwardly until it reaches the rearward limit of its movement. On approaching said limit of movement, however, the rearward edge of the plate 53 engages the frame 29 and the plate is pushed forward, relative to the head 54, until the opening through the head is closed by the front part of the plate as shown in Fig. 3, this movement of the plate being permitted by compression of the spring 55 on the "stud51. The carrier is then in position to receive another slug, dropping from the slug-feeding devices at the lower end of the feed-chute By adjusting the shaft 59 to a position such that the projections 62 instead of the projections 61 of the cams are engaged by the lowermost slug in the feed-chute, two of the slugs are permitted to pass beyond the bottom portion of the chute, and both of said slugs will pass beyond the cams 67 so as not to be engaged by them when they are turned. Thus when the said cams move inwardly the radial faces 69 will engage the ends of the third slug from the bottom, as shown in Fig. 9, and the two lowermost slugs will be simultaneously released, as indicated in Fig. 8. It is preferable that the slugs which are dropped in pairs be fastened together in some suitable manner, as by the rivets indicated in Fig. 8. When the slugs are thus fastened together, they form practically a single slugof double thickness, and it will be obvious that single slugs of varying thickness may be used in the machine by merely varying the position of the earns 60.

Above and parallel to the shaft 59 is a shaft 84 on which is fulcrumed a lever having an upwardly extending arm 85 and a shorter arm 86 which extends down between the cams 60. A cord 87 is connected with the upper arm of the lever as shown in Fig. 1. By pulling upon said cord the lever is swung to the position shown by dotted lines in Fig. 2, at which the lower arm 86 engages the slugs in the feed-chute and pushes them up the chute so that they cannot be discharged from the chute by the operation of the feed mechanism. The feeding or discharge of the slugs may thus be stopped momentarily when desired, as in the event that the papers a are not being properly discharged from the delivery devices 22.

The storage galleys 31, from which the type-slugs are discharged into the feedchute, are preferably closed at one end, as shown in Fig. 11. When the galleys are in use for storing the type-slugs, one end of the column or row of slugs rests against the closed end of the galley and the other end of the column is retained by means of the locking-follower shown in Figs. 10 and 11. The said locking-follower has two side-bars 88 in one of which are secured the ends of the pins or studs 89. The other ends of the said pins extend slidably into openings therefor in the other side-bar, and coil springs 90 are disposed around the pins between the side-bars so as to normally push them apart. Toggle-plates 91 are pivotally connected to each other and to the side-bars as shown in Fig.11. Each of the toggleplates has an upturned portion 92 at the end thereof. By grasping said portions 92 between the thumb and finger and pressing them toward each other, the plates are moved so as to draw the sidebars toward each. other against the pressure of the springs 90. The follower may thus be placed in the galley or moved longitudinally thereof, and when the'toggle-plates are released the springs 90 will press the sidebars against the sides .of the galley so that the frictional engagement thereof will prevent movement of the follower.

Before placing the galleys in the machine so as to deliver. the slugs to the feed-chute, the type-faces of the slugsmay be inked with an ordinary inking-roller as would be done for making a proof therefrom. The typefaces of the slugs might be similarly inked after the slugs were in the chute, or while in the galley after it is placed in position with its open end engaged with the upper end of the feed-chute, as shown in Fig. 1. It will be obvious, of course, that the slugs are used by the machine with such rapidity that there is insufficient time for the ink applied to the type-faces to dry before the respective slugs are presented at the printing position.

Now, having described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patcut is: p i

1. In a consecutive printing machine, means for supporting a column of slugs in an inclined position with the edges of the slugsresting on the support, a stop for engaging the lowermost slug of the column after said slug has moved past the supporting means, and means for raising'all of the slugs except the lowermost to permit the latter to fall from the stop.

2. A slug-feeding mechanism comprising an inclined chute, a stop disposed at the lower end of the chute to limit downward movement of the slugs therein, there being an opening in the chute adjacent to the stop so that the lowermost slug is supported above said opening solely by the frictional engagement of the slug with the stop and the adjoining slug in the column, and means for lifting in the chute all of the slugs except the lowermost, whereby said slug is released from said frictional engagement and permitted to fall edgewise through the opening.

3. In a machine of the class described, in combination, a slug-feeding device, a reciprocating slug-carrier adapted to receive slugs from the feeding device at one position and convey the slugs to a printing position, means on the carrier for clamping a slug, a reciprocating actuating element connected with thecarrier and clamping means so as .to consecutively clamp the slug, move the carrier from receiving position to printing pos1t10n,.'release the slug, and return the carrier to receiving position, and a movable platen adapted for cooperation with aslug held at the printing position, the platen being movable by the actuating element at the conclusion of the movement of the carrier to printing position.

In a machine of the class described, a slidably mounted head, a part slidably held in the head, reciprocating member yieldably connected with the sliding part, slug-feed devices arranged to deliver a slug into the head adjoining the sliding part, means limiting movement of the sliding part relative to the head, and means for limiting movement of both the head and the sliding part.

5. In a machine of the class described, an inclined feed-chute having an opening at the lower part thereof and adapted to retain a column of slugs with one of the same at a position adjacent to said opening, and means for moving the remainder of the slugs longitudinally of the chute to remove the pressure thereof from the slug positioned adjacent to the opening, whereby said slug is released and permitted to fall from the chute.

6. In a machine of the class described, a chute adapted to contain a column of slugs and inclined so that the slugs may slide downwardly therein, a stop for limiting the movement of the slugs longitudinally of the chute, the chute having an opening below and adjacent to the stop, and means for lifting all of the slugs in the chute except that engaging the stop, whereby said slug may be released and permitted to fall through the opening.

7. In a machine of the class described, an inclined feed-chute adapted to contain a column of slugs of which the edges rest slidably upon the inclined bottom of the chute, a fixed stop normally engaging the side of the lowermost slug of the column to prevent downward movement of the column in the chute, and means for separating the lowermost slug from the remainder of the column to release said slug and permit it to fall edgewise through an opening in the bottom of the chute, said means consisting solely of members adapted to engage the ends of the slug next to the lowermost slug and move the column longitudinally of the chute away from said lowermost slug.

8. In a machine of the class described, type-slugs, a chute adapted to contain a column of the slugs, and pivoted oscillating cams positioned at the sides of the chute, said cams having portions adapted to en gage the ends of a slug to move the same longitudinally of the chute, and portions adapted to simultaneously engage an adjoining slug and move the same in a direction opposite to the first.

9. In a machine of the class described, type-slugs having beveled end portions, a chute adapted to contain a column of the slugs, cams pivoted at the sides of the chute, and means for intermittently oscillating the cams, the cams having portions adapted to enter between the beveled ends of two adjoining slugs of the column so as to move said slugs longitudinally of the chute in opposite directions.

10. In a machine of the class described, a horizontally slidable carrier-head having a vertical passage through it, a plate slid ably mounted in the head and adapted to close the passage therein, reciprocating actuating means, means yieldably connecting the actuating means and the slidable plate, said means being engageable with the head, means for retarding movement of the head whereby the same may be held stationary while the plate is moved to open the vertical passage, and means for limiting movement of the plate whereby the head may be moved relatively thereto so that the plate will close the vertical passage.

11. In a machine of the class described, type-slugs, a chute for supporting a column of the slugs, slug-actuating means disposed near the lower end of the chute and adapted to engage slugs adjoining the same, a stop positioned at said end of the chute to limit downward movement of the slugs therein, and means for adjusting the position of the stop to vary the distance between the same and the slug-actuating means and enable slugs of diiterent thickness to lie between said parts.

12. In a machine of the class described, means for supporting an inclined column of type-slugs, said supporting means comprising a chute having an opening at the lower part thereof and a variable stop adj acent to said opening, the chute engaging the edges of the slugs and the variable stop engaging one side of the lowermost slug, and means for lifting the main column of slugs out of engagement with the slug adjoining the said opening and variable stop.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto subscribed my name in the presence of two witnesses.

CLARENCE i. w. siuiri-i.

Witnesses:

D. O. BARNELL, O. A. Srearoos.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of ?atents,

Washington, D. G. 

